Moth catcher



MOTH CATCHER Filed Aug. 18. 1928 INVEN TOR,

%wob ATTORNEX hatented July 15, 1930 want WILLIAM L. RICHARDS, 01E BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON MOTH onronnn Application filed August 18, .1928; Serial No. 300,577.

for continuous operation during the night to dispose ofsuch pests and their resultant progeny in quantities. Another object of my improvement is to provide an insect catcher the illumination from which is widely projected from the open, flaring top thereof.

Other objects ofmy improvement Wlll apnear as the description proceeds. I A l attain these and other objects of my 1m provement with the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyinssheet of drawings forminga part of this specification in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my moth trap, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 with the walls of the trap in quarter-verticalcross section and 3 is a section of the trap on the line 3-8.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout. Certain parts are broken away to show others hidden thereby.

With more particular reference to the des- Q top 5 and is supported in a vertical position by legs 6. 6', 6 in sockets 7 fastened to cvlinc er 4. W'ater cup 8 isretained between less '6. on lugs a thereon, beneath the lower open endof cylindrical body 1. Said cup is spaced apart from the body 4 which has wire screen sleeve 9 fastened to its lower end to slip into the upper part of cup 8 and lit closelyignated parts: A hollow cylinder a has flarnection'for the motor with a source of electricity. i

Conical cap 13 is preferably mounted over the top of motor 10 to prevent the lodgement of insects thereon.

lVhen the'motor 10 is in operation fan 12 draws air downward through open flaring top 5. through body 4 and projects said air into cup 8 where it is reflected from the surt'a cc of the liquid or quantity of insects therein 160 topass out through screen 9.

On the upper end of flaring body top .5 are -.mounted threeI concave mirrors or reflectors 1 1. which preferably are assembled back to back and lean outward from each other w1th the edges of their lower ends fastened together. This groupjof reflectors, is retained in place by brackets 15 fastened thereto and to the top 5. 7

Electric lamp firgture 16 has three radial, '70 downwardlydnclined sockets a which are extended through holes a in said reflectors from the rear thereof and with them are engagedincandescent electric lamps 17 which preferably are retained in the foci of said reflectors. i

Electric cable a connects said lamps 17 with a source of electricity, not shown.

Air drawn downward through flaring top 5 by fan 12 passes near the frontv surfaces of reflectors'l las a downward current and, in operation, it is powerful enough to carry with it moths and similar insects in the vicinity thereof andproject them on top of the liquid or accumulated insects in cup 8, where they may be killed by the liquid a therein and, if not killed, they will be retainedwithin the chamber of the body of the trap by the downward. pressure of theaircurrent as long as said fan revolves. 7 i During the period of operation of my trap electric lamps 17 are energized and their light serves as an attraction for night-flying insect-s of all kinds which approach the lamps and thus come within the range ofthe indraught of air which overcomes their power of flight anddraws them within the chamber of the trap from which they can not escape.

In practice't-his trap isvery attractive to moths and similar\insects at night and provides means of destroying them in quantities.

To remove cup 8, body 4 with its attached parts is lifted allowing legs 6 with said cup to remain on the ground for such disposal as may be desired.

Having thus disclosed my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

An insect trap consisting of an upright open-top vessel the upper walls of which terminate above in a plurality of inwardly and upwardly directed reflectors, electric lamps within the foci of said reflectors, an electric fan revoluble on a vertical shaft mounted for revolution within said vessel beneath said lamps, screen walls in said vessel below said fan, and a water-tight lower end in said vessel below said screen walls thereof.

WILLIAM L. RICHARDS. 

